The leaves have started to appear, and the moment that the vines will flower is getting ever nearer. At the start, the plant will nourish itself from its own reserves, to then move into a period of vigorous growth. Flowering usually occurs in our vineyard towards the end of May or in early June. It is one of the most important moments in the growth cycle, as it will determine the amount of grapes that there are on each bunch and the size of the harvest. It all depends on the temperature; it needs to remain a steady 15 – 20 degrees.
Leaves, tendrils and flowers
The green vine shoots are composed of leaves, tendrils and inflorescences. The leaves allow the plant to keep growing, through photosynthesis, the tendrils allow the vine to expand vertically, as they are the structures that the plant uses to hold onto things, like small hooks, and lastly, the inflorescences will bloom into flowers from which the berries – i.e. the grapes – will grow. Over two weeks, if the weather is favourable, tiny, almost imperceptible, white flowers will gradually appear and we will keep an even closer eye on our vineyard. It is a moment, after the tasks of suckering and lateral shoot thinning have taken place, when any changes in temperature are of crucial importance. Only a percentage of the flowers will set, depending on weather conditions and also on the grape variety, with bunches of grapes appearing almost a month later. Fruit set is the phase of the growth cycle when the grape berries start to be visible to the naked eye. We see the intensely green-coloured berries get bigger and swell. At this moment, the vine concentrates on nurturing its fruit, which will change colour later on, in a process known as “véraison“.
Looking up at the sky
The weather is of prime importance throughout the whole of the vine growth cycle, but conditions in spring can have an effect on the harvest at the end of summer. That’s to say, if flowering starts early, harvest will also be early. And the opposite also applies, when the start of harvest will be pushed back. That is why we spend spring looking up to the sky, hoping that the weather will be kind to us. This is the great thing about our work, what gives you a sense of the magic that means that every vintage is unique, special and one-of-a-kind.